familiar
by achieving elysium
Summary: For the Greco-Roman War. It's Percy's birthday, but things aren't working out as he'd expected, still stuck on the Argo II and a world away from home. Fortunately, Hazel is up at one in the morning to try and get him out of his birthday blues.


**familiar**  
for the greco-roman war on PJFC

* * *

Hermes prompt, stolen from the story _Scar of the Hunter_: _It was not working out, to say the least. _  
Hunters of Artemis challenge: No k's allowed. (I'm hoping this doesn't apply to A/N)  
Prompt: Hazel/Percy platonic  
Prompt: "I hope you will end up in Tartarus."

* * *

She found Percy leaning against the railing of the _Argo II _at one o'clock in the morning, staring out at the sea. It was one of those rare times that Hazel's queasiness at being over water wasn't having her throw up - a good thing.

"Hi, Hazel," he said, not turning around. She marveled at this slightly, his instincts allowing him to sense who was behind him or something close to that.

"Hey," she replied, moving so she was next to him. She'd gotten up at this ungod(s)ly hour because of dreams and Percy himself, moving around in his room. It irritated her to no end that here she was up at one, but she pushed down the feeling.

When he said nothing else, she continued. "It's one in the morning, Percy. What in the world could possibly prompt you into getting up?"

Silence. A sigh. He turned to her then, face unreadable. "It's my birthday." It was muttered so quietly that she almost missed it. Hazel stared at her cousin.

His... _birthday? _What in the gods-given world - his _birthday. _

"That's.. well, then."

"It's just," he began, frustrated. "We're halfway across the ocean. My mom and my stepdad are worrying themselves over me - I haven't seen them in almost a year, now. My friends and family - on _both _sides - started fighting a war, and I don't ... I have no way of seeing what's going on. I thought maybe I'd be able to go home, but nothing's turning out the way it's supposed to."

No thoughts came to mind. "Well, if it helps... happy birthday." He laughed. "And since you're having the birthday blues, I believe I can fix that." He hummed in agreement.

"So, Hazel Marie," he said, half-bowing. "Care to dance with the birthday boy and tell me all your deepest and most hidden secrets?" She just shoved him before grabbing his outstretched hand.

* * *

"This is going to be the best birthday you've ever had," Hazel told him, eyeing the galley. She pulled out a mixing bowl and a spoon and handed it to him. He shrugged in amusement.

"Haze, you sure? Because last time-" She hit him with a spatula. He held up his hands in surrender, before questioning her again.

"Anyone teach you how to fix up some good food?" She paused and bit her lip. Seeing her expression, he reached into the cabinets and drawers and fridge (which still made no sense to her) and pulled out a ton of things - flour, eggs, butter, and a multitude of other things.

After they stirred the batter and moved around and all that, Percy stopped her from putting the tray in the oven.

"Wait," he said, eyes lighting up. "Almost forgot the secret ingredient."

Of course, it just had to be blue food coloring. She groaned.

* * *

Percy's room was no doubt the messiest of the whole lot. Clothes were strewn around on the floor. A towel hung on his chair. His table, in the far corner, was covered in papers and old photos. There was a cup of ramen just sitting there, a few days old.

"So.. what are we doing again?" He had gotten it into his mind to introduce her to the twenty-first century while having fun at the same time, so therefore Hazel was confused ninety-percent of the time.

She was holding a few stolen pillows and a comforter. Percy dragged his chair towards them, piling his own pillows and comforter on it.

"Building a fort," he replied easily, moving the swivel chair out the door. "You coming?"

Shrugging, she just followed.

After the general confusion passed, the two shoved the couch in the lounge room over so that they could have more space. The chairs and the couch helped hold up comforters. The pillows were arranged.

They laid inside the fort, splitting a slightly burnt piece of bright blue heaven and creating shapes in the glow of the flashlight.

* * *

A small circle of light lit up the storage room. Hazel swept her light from side to side, searching for any type of large container. For some strange reason, Leo had stuffed the room with a lot of random items, from gardening tools to something she recognized as a bag of water guns.

Then, in the far corner, she spotted it. 'It' was a trash can, though it had no lid, which was perfect. She didn't see anything else they could use, so she grabbed it. Nearby was a piece of rope, which Percy had instructed her to get as well.

About to leave, she saw the water guns one more time and decided to grab them.

Gathering all of her items in her arms, she used her foot to slam the door shut. A few days ago, Leo "accidentally" spilled a ton of mayonnaise (what Leo would want with a giant bottle of mayo was slightly puzzling) all over the son of Poseidon. Of course, Percy had decided right then and there that he would get his revenge, which was what Hazel was helping with.

They met outside of Leo's quarters. He'd gotten about twenty bottles of mustard and another bottle full of bright fuchsia dye. When he saw her, Percy smiled.

"You got everything?"

She lifted the water guns. "And more." He laughed.

"I'm going to enjoy seeing this side of you, Haze."

A few minutes of squirting mustard into the trash can later, Percy stopped her before they were about to hang up the container. He put a finger to his lips and crept into Leo's room, where the mechanic was snoring away and muttering something about tacos and elephants.

She watched him as he fiddled around in the bathroom, somehow getting the dye into the water supply. Leo was a morning shower person, so if he stepped in the shower for a wash - or, gods forbid, a bath - he'd turn a very attractive shade of fuchsia.

Hazel stifled a laugh. Trying to imagine the son of Hephaestus fuchsia was just too much. Along with the mustard outside the door, Leo would be very colorful the next morning.

She gave Percy a thumbs up.

* * *

The monsters came blundering onto the ship when Percy and Hazel were having a mid-morning, spur-of-the-moment box of mixed candies. Percy was busy sorting out the blue pretzel M&M's and chewing on a sour gummy worm when the shouting started.

"_DEMIGODSS. I SSMELL DEMIGODSS._" Exchanging glances, the two groaned as the monsters threw open the door. She drew the cavalry sword from its place by her side, and Percy uncapped Riptide.

The monsters were in truth just three _empousi. _One of them was in a modern day cheerleader's outfit, carrying a spear. The others were dressed in regular clothing - shirts and jeans.

"Perseusss," the cheerleader girl hissed. "You will pay for what you've done. I hope you'll end up in Tartarusss when I'm done with you." Her friends hissed and laughed in agreement. She tightened her grip on her sword, waiting.

"Been there, done that. Sorry, Tammi," Percy quipped, as the monsters lunged forwards. She parried a blow from a spear and dodged out of the way as a blade came a bit too close to cutting off her head. Meanwhile, Tammi gave a terrible screech as she dissolved into golden dust.

Hazel stabbed one of her assailants in the stomach as Percy got rid of the other one.

Both covered in dust and breathing (sort of) hard, they examined each other. Percy had a scratch on his face, and when she glanced down, one of the _empousi _had apparently clipped her on the leg. It wasn't too bad, though.

Shrugging, they returned to their food.

* * *

"Watch," Percy whispered, stopping her. His eyes lit up in the moonlight, and she stopped where she was, peering out over the moving water. There was nothing.

"There's nothing-" He clamped a hand over her mouth, ignoring her muffled sound of protest.

And then the waves stilled. Their surroundings seemed to freeze for a moment, and out of the sea came the arguably most beautiful creatures she'd ever seen. Half-horse, half-fish, the hippocampi seemed even more beautiful and majestic in the silver light of the moon. Scales she'd never noticed before glistened. Their tails shimmered, colors changing as they moved.

"Oh, my gods," she finally whispered, when they'd disappeared underneath the waves.

Percy grinned. "Yep."

* * *

"This is so stupid," Hazel said, holding her bowl of fruit in one hand. She grabbed a banana with her free hand. "Just saying."

"Well, they call me stupid," Percy replied, holding his sword at the ready.

"No," she corrected. "You're insane."

"That, too. I'm ready." Rolling her eyes and wondering why the shisct she was doing this in the first place, she threw the piece of fruit into the air. He cut it in half and went on slicing the fruit flying towards him with frightening accuracy.

When they ran out of fruit, Percy grabbed a piece of chopped-up apple from the ground and bit into it.

"Fruit Ninja," he explained, mouth opening to display a gross amount of apple. "Something I've always wanted to do."

"You really are insane, aren't you?" she asked him, scooping up a peach for herself. "You really are insane, Percy."

"Wouldn't have it any other way."

* * *

They hid in the dining room, guns aimed at the doors. The sound of five other demigods running around on the ship made Hazel impatient. She squirmed in her spot, waiting.

Crouched next to her, Percy grinned and bounced up and down. She turned her gaze towards the left wall. Leo's room was right next to the dining room, and if everything had gone to plan, then-

"Holy Hephaestus! Gizmos and gears, what is going on?" She slapped a hand over her mouth, trying very hard not to die of laughter. Percy vibrated with silent amusement.

The doors to the room opened. As she aimed her gun at Jason, who was yawning, she turned to Percy. "So how was this as a birthday?"

He shot Jason with blue paint, smiling as an answer.


End file.
